Skip to main content
CVE-2023-20175VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2023-20175: Cisco Identity Services Engine Software · OS Command Injection

Affects Cisco Identity Services Engine SoftwareSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 42% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 1 Nov 2023

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Cisco Cisco Identity Services Engine SoftwareAffected
  • =2.6.0
  • =2.7.0
  • =3.0.0
  • =3.1.0
  • =3.2.0
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should immediately review and restrict CLI access to Cisco ISE devices, ensuring only trusted administrators have access and enforcing the principle of least privilege. Implement strong authentication mechanisms and monitor CLI command usage for unusual or unauthorized activity. Network segmentation should be employed to limit access to Cisco ISE management interfaces. Organizations should track Cisco’s security advisories closely and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available. In the interim, consider disabling or restricting the vulnerable CLI commands if feasible. Conduct regular audits of user privileges and remove unnecessary read-only or higher access rights. Employ intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting Cisco ISE. Additionally, maintain comprehensive logging and alerting on administrative actions to facilitate rapid incident response. Training administrators on secure CLI usage and awareness of this vulnerability can further reduce risk.

Description

CVE-2023-20175 is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) software. It allows an authenticated local attacker with at least read-only privileges to execute arbitrary OS commands and escalate privileges to root by exploiting insufficient input validation in a specific CLI command. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Cisco ISE from 2.6.0 through 3.2.0. Exploitation requires valid credentials but no user interaction beyond command submission. The vulnerability can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…